Newcomers “Heroes,” “Ugly Betty” and “30 Rock” got deserved nods but “FNL” deserved it and really could have used the boost going forward.

“The Sopranos” got 15 nominations but surprisingly was passed by “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” a flawed miniseries generally dismissed by critics, which won 17. Credit the Academy for at least adding lots of new faces to the competition, a point of contention in the past.

No surprise that HBO topped the networks with the most nominations, 86, but ABC did quite well with 70. Glad to see FX’s “The Riches” was recognized, via Minnie Driver’s performance as a con artist. And way to go, Denis Leary and “Rescue Me.”

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.